RodeoHouston performer: Cardi B

Cardi B performs at the Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

Photo: Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

When the RodeoHouston lineup leaked a week before the official announcement, one name stood out among the country and pop heavyweights.

Cardi B.

It was the rapper’s inclusion, in fact, that led many to believe the leak was fake.

“No way! They wouldn’t.”

“The rodeo would never be that hip/cool/progressive.”

“She curses too much!”

Cardi B, who is Trinidadian and Dominican, will indeed bring her “money moves” to the rotating stage. Her appearance on Black Heritage Day is a conscious pivot from last year, when the inclusion of Leon Bridges raised complaints that he appeals to a largely white audience.

She was named Billboard's top new artist of 2018 and has topped the chart with solo tunes, bilingual collaborations and pop features. Most of them have explicit lyrics. But Rodeo organizers, who pride themselves on family appeal, promise Cardi B “can do a clean show.”

More Information

Performing: March 1 (Black Heritage Day)

Hometown: The Bronx, N.Y.

First No. 1 hit: 2017’s “Bodak Yellow”

Did you know: Cardi B is the only female rapper to have multiple No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Joey Guerra is the music critic for the Houston Chronicle. He also covers various aspects of pop culture. He has reviewed hundreds of concerts and interviewed hundreds of celebrities, from Justin Bieber to Dolly Parton to Beyonce. He’s appeared as a regular correspondent on Fox26 and was head judge and director of the Pride Superstar singing competition for a decade. He has been named journalist of the year multiple times by both OutSmart Magazine and the FACE Awards. He also covers various aspects of pop culture, including the local drag scene and "RuPaul's Drag Race."